Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. (3DS) (2015)

[Nintendoga]

Yes, that is the actual name of the game.

The newest Nintendo IP was just announced at the Roundtable.

No gameplay trailer (for now), however they did promise to show off some more gameplay tomorrow at the Treehouse.

Reported as "The age of steam." Code Name: S.T.E.A.M is a turn based strategy game with some TPS/Action elements. Players control unit Steam, an elite fighting force put together by President Lincoln. Game takes place in 19th century London.

The game has a Comic book art style to it, with steam punk elements. Gameplay wise, you are able to switch between characters of your team at any given time. You use touch controls for the interface and to control the team. There are four units in total you can control. You can also use Overwatch, meaning you can attack during the enemy's turn.

Each map is made to look unique, and pixel art used for terrain to ensure it looks good at all distances. Tons of Enemy types.

The game is developed by Intelligent Systems. According to Hiroshi Yamagami, it is a "quirky game with movement inspired by action games" and thinks "Many strategy games are too abstract"  and "Invisible parameters". "Adding steam punk elements to world helped convey important details. One example is a red pipe that goes to the objective" (Think Mirror's Edge).

"There are also boxes you can interact with for tips."

Character wear steam packs that provide the steam that powers them, action points govern how you can do, with it being your fuel essentially. On the screen is the Steam gauge, which shows the cost of certain actions, like firing weapons.

There is no online play mode, however there are elements of online multiplayer.
 

 

More pics here

Game comes out 2015.

Well it looks....interesting. And it sounds like it'd be kinda fun too. Keep an eye on this one I guess.

[Autosaver]

I thought I remembered the name and it was said a while back.

 

http://www.gonintendo.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=139579&start=0

[JaidynReiman]

Yeah, it was brought up a while back. Apparently it somewhat resembles Advance Wars, though it is a new game and Intelligent Systems hinted in the interview that Advance Wars isn't dead, although they didn't say anything about a new game. They also said that SMT X Fire Emblem is progressing on schedule but he couldn't say more otherwise they'd risk getting fired.

 

So yeah, dunno how I feel about this. It looks... different. Its some sort of turn-based strategy RPG based on teamwork.

[Marcello]

Boxart and press release:


http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=116097686&postcount=296
 
I don't really like the art style. And the graphics themselves don't seem great either, but I'll wait to see it in motion and in better screens than what we've got to really have an opinion on them.
 
Gameplay-wise it could be pretty cool. IS is talented and people are comparing it Valkyria Chronicles. I've only played the demo of that, but I enjoyed it.
 
The story and setting seem crazy and interesting, so I like that.
 
A couple screens in better quality: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=836120

[Salamander]

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. sounds interesting in theory, but after Fire Emblem: Awakening, I am hugely cynical about anything under the strategy label that Intelligent Systems might release.  Probably a good thing it's a 2015 game, as it'll take a lot for me to believe in this.

[SuperLink]

Gameplay-wise and concept-wise it sounds great, and the art style is ok, but visually yeah it's not super impressive.. yet?

 

Nintendo games are typically proof-of-concept before all else and graphics last, so I'd wait to see it in motion at treehouse today and also to see if the visuals get better before its release before I say it's awful-looking.

[KrazyBean]

Code Name S.T.E.A.M is the ACTUAL title? Huh. I thought it was, y'know...a code name. lol

[Patticus]

STEAM doesn't look very appealing from the initial screens. Hopefully we'll get a better idea of how it looks and plays from today's Treehouse gameplay footage.

[Gabz Girl]

Does anyone know when Treehouse Live is going to do the gameplay demo for this?

 

I think it looks interesting and the art style is certainly unique; very different from Intelligent System's usual fare. The gameplay sounds intriguing too what with it apparently being similar to Valkyria Chronicles (which I've never played btw).

 

I admit that the screenshots look a bit iffy, but haven't we said this about other 3DS games too?  Most 3DS games look much better in motion, Yoshi's New Island being one such example, than in actual screenshots. So let's see how it looks when Treehouse Live plays the demo first!

[Doctor MK]

So this was Nintendo's big secret 3DS game, huh? It looks... interesting, I guess? Can't deny I'm a little bit underwhelmed, but that's mainly due to all the speculations and expectations of it being something massive. This still looks pretty cool in its own right. I love me some steampunk so, setting-wise at least, I'm interested.

 

Hard to get any more excited at the moment though without any gameplay footage, so I'll try to tune in for the Treehouse stuff later and form a proper opinion.

[VO.SUPER]

Check it out. It does look like Valkyra Chronicles.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGsXGy9ZvIs

[Doctor MK]

Watching the gameplay on the Treehouse and... I can't tell whether I like this or not? It certainly looks the part, but I can't deny the overwhelming sense of "'MURICA!" (to the extent of the national anthem being used for victory music) as a little off-putting for a Brit like me, even if it is supposedly set in London.

 

If they were top hat wearing tea guzzlers, on the other hand... what-ho!

 

EDIT: GameXplain thoughts and reactions:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GNUFbqt2y8

 

Soundtrack confirmed to be by the same composer from Advance Wars, heavy metal and rock to be the primary genre.

[Salamander]

Watching the gameplay on the Treehouse and... I can't tell whether I like this or not? It certainly looks the part, but I can't deny the overwhelming sense of "'MURICA!" (to the extent of the national anthem being used for victory music) as a little off-putting for a Brit like me, even if it is supposedly set in London.

 

If they were top hat wearing tea guzzlers, on the other hand... what-ho!

 

I went back and reviewed some things, and apparently while the setting is envisaged as the British Empire, and the game is set in London, the S.T.E.A.M. unit were assembled by President Lincoln.  I think Intelligent Systems has misunderstood what the British Empire is.

[Marcello]

It's about about Lincoln fighting aliens with a lion. I don't think they're going for historic accuracy.

[YoshiUnity]

Alright! Review time!

 

Nintendo World Report "Score Pending"

 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/39827/code-name-steam-3ds-review
 

There really is so much to like in Code Name: S.T.E.A.M, except for the steep difficulty curve. It’s definitely worth a try, but the immense challenge made it far less enjoyable for me.

 

 

GameXplain "Loved it"

 

 

TechnoBuffalo "An absolute buy if waiting between turns didn't feel like a hinderance in the demo."

 

http://www.technobuffalo.com/reviews/code-name-s-t-e-a-m-review-fun-interrupted/
 

Download Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.‘s demo. Try it out. You’ll be waiting in between turns there too. If you feel like that isn’t a hindrance, this game is an absolute buy. Really, everything else is very, very good. If that alien movement phase annoys you? I’d say you should stay away.

If Intelligent Systems patches in a skip or speed up option? This game will be stellar. Here’s hoping they do.

 

Toronto Sun 4.5/5

 

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/03/11/code-name-steam-review-game-a-breath-of-fresh-air
 

Like the stories from which the characters are borrowed, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. truly is the video game equivalent of a page-turner, and I dare anyone not to be sucked in by its charisma. It may start off slowly, but before you can bellow “STAR SPANGLED SLAMMER!” you’ll be telling yourself “just one more level.”

 

US Gamer 4/5

 

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/code-name-steam-nintendo-3ds-review
 

There are some things that drive me crazy about Code Name S.T.E.A.M's mission design, and I really think the difficulty balance could have used another pass, but these issues are balanced by the excellent mechanics. Intelligent Systems know their way around the strategy genre, and it shows in Code Name S.T.E.A.M's deep roster and intricate level design. It's more frustrating than it should be in the early going, but stick with it. Silly as it might be, Code Name S.T.E.A.M is ultimately worth it.

 

Technology Tell "B"/A-F

 

http://www.technologytell.com/gaming/143915/code-name-steam-review-get-hot-water/
 

Code Name: STEAM is the first full-scale original strategy effort for Intelligent Systems in decades, and that’s clear in some of the ways it’s rough around the edges. Still, it’s easy enough to adjust to those rough spots after a while, and once you do, you can get lost in the challenging mechanical depth that can be found in choosing a team, outfitting it and coordinating an efficient battle strategy.

 

Shacknews 8/10

 

http://www.shacknews.com/article/88534/code-name-steam-review-full-steam-ahead
 

The premise behind Code Name: STEAM is so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but enjoy myself the more I played it. It doesn’t go very far beyond a “there are aliens at this location, get rid of them” type of story, but its gameplay, as brutal as it can be at times, can be rewarding when you figure out just the right combination of squad members to use during missions.

 

Nintendo Life 8/10

 

http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds/code_name_steam

 

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is a fun, quirky new release from Nintendo. While there are a few flaws in the game design, we think that there's enough good here to justify a purchase from any Nintendo fan looking for something different. We'd love to see more of this compelling and riotous new world from Intelligent Systems; it's a great way to learn about classic literature...sort of.

 

GameTrailers 8/10

 

http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/3qzgh5/code-name--s-t-e-a-m--review

 

Yet ultimately Code Name S.T.E.A.M. represents an exciting new direction for Intelligent Systems. More than once we found ourselves intending to just complete a mission or two but wounding up playing five or six hours straight.

 

 

Game Revolution 4/5

 

http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/codename-steam
 

For the strategy gamer, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is a must-grab. But even for those who may not be too familiar or comfortable with strategy games or the genre as a whole, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. still merits a healthy look. The title eases the player into the ideas that relate to both the game itself and the genre as a whole, and highlights necessary details through pointed, yet laughably-bad dialogue.

 

GamesRadar 4/5

 

http://www.gamesradar.com/code-name-steam-review/
 

Strategy games can be a bit staid, and Code Name S.T.E.A.M. does a fantastic job of bucking those expectations. The odd team of steampunk weirdos really mixes up the gameplay to make for some impactful action, and the dense maps belie a raft of colorful design. With far more hits than misses, this game is a blast.

 

GameInformer 8/10

 

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/project_steam/b/3ds/archive/2015/03/11/code-name-steam-review-game-informer.aspx

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M has plenty to love, but it also falls short in keeping all moments thrilling and tense.

 

IGN 7.9/10

 

http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/11/code-name-steam-review

Code Name: STEAM is a good turn-based action game that poses tough choices, where one wrong move can mean doom.

 

 

We Got This Covered 3.5/5

 

http://wegotthiscovered.com/gaming/code-name-steam-review/
 

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is a novel mix of shooting and strategy, but a drab storyline and occasionally frustrating gameplay keep it from greatness.

 

Destructoid 6.5/10

 

http://www.destructoid.com/review-code-name-s-t-e-a-m--288507.phtml
 

Truth be told, I feel incredibly conflicted about Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. The idea of a Nintendo studio authoring a western comicbook-inspired steampunk tale about American folk heroes is just so off the wall it's enthralling. However in practice, it really underdelivers.

Meanwhile, the gameplay is a heady, engrossing experience. But it's also one that's frequently undermined by the tedious and protracted nature of enemy turns. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is a decent, respectable game with some truly euphoric highs amid equitably frustrating lows.

 

GameSided 6/10

http://gamesided.com/2015/03/11/code-name-steam-review-full-of-hot-air/

If you like strategy games, or mostly-American history or literature, or are just looking for something really bizarre, Code Name STEAM might be for you. It’s not a bad game, but it’s certainly not a great one, and not worth the forty or so dollars if you’re casually looking for something new to play.

 

Gamespot 4/10

 

http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/code-name-s-t-e-a-m-review/1900-6416060/

 

It isn’t just the combat design that’s disappointing. The music is a grating mashup of industrial percussion, thrash guitars, dubstep breaks, and the occasional (and truly out-of-place) flute melody. The maps are boxy and claustrophobic--they all feel like warehouses, even those styled to look like city parks and desert canyons.

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. offers the most frustrating kind of steampunk: It brushes up against potent themes, but then turns its back on them in favor of pure aestheticization.

 

So far, besides Gamespot slamming it, and Destructoid and Gamesided being so-so. All the reviews so far have been at the 8/10 - 4/5 mark according to score.

However after reading the reviews, a common complaint was how long the enemy turns take. Also, GameXplain apparently said that there's no friend option in the online multi-player.

 

Also the difficulty supposedly ramps up quite a bit, too. But I'm fine with that. Honestly I was expecting it to be challenging after playing the demo.

To be honest. I was planning on getting this at damned the reviews anyway. I really want to experience the game in my own hands. So I'm good.

 

Also. I'm posting this on here. The full Theme song!

[YoshiUnity]

Welp! I'm happy to say that I'm steamed!

 

 

Can't wait to try this out...! At 11pm tonight after I come back from my classes... Also, yep. I got my Majora Mask pin.

 

Also Ol' Honest Abe visited my Streetpass Plaza.

[JaidynReiman]

I'll consider picking this up later. I'm still not fully dead-set on getting this. Maybe once the Robin and Lucina Amiibo releases I'll get the game (along with another new 3DS; after figuring out that each 3DS only accepts one NNID I gave the previous one I ordered to my wife; before then we were going to share it).

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

We got some of the voice actors

 

http://www.gonintendo.com/s/249132-code-name-s-t-e-a-m-voice-actors-revealed

 

 

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. - voice actors revealed

Mar 14, 2015 by RawmeatCowboy

Henry Fleming – Adam Baldwin (Jayne Cobbe – Firefly)
John Henry – Michael Dorn (Worf – Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Lion – Fred Tatasciore (Saren – Mass Effect)
Tiger Lily – Kari Wahlgren (Asche – Final Fantasy XII)
Tom Sawyer – Jeremy Shada (Finn the Human – Adventure Time)
The Fox – Grey DeLisle (Daphne – Scooby Doo)
Randolph Carter – James Urbaniak (Dr. Thaddeus Venture – The Venture Bros.)
Queequeg – TJ Storm (Craig Marduk – Tekken 6)
Scarecrow – Paul Eiding (Max Tennyson – Ben 10)
Abe Lincoln – Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher – Star Trek: The Next Generation)

link

 

And from the comments some other roles these guys have done

 

Michael Dorn - Coldstone (Gargoyles)
Fred Tatasciore - Magnus (Kid Icarus: Uprising), The Hulk (Various Marvel Media)
Kari Wahlgren - Phosphora/Gaol (Kid Icarus: Uprising), Celty (Durarara)
Grey Delisle - Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
TJ Storm - Strider Hiryu (Ultimate Marvel vs CAPCOM 3)
Paul Eiding - Colonel Campbell (Metal Gear Solid franchise)

Califia - Kimberly Brooks (Shinobu - No More Heroes)
Tin Man - Andrew Kishino (Sektor/Shang Tsung - Mortal Kombat 2011)
Dorothy Gale - Amber Hood (Aliasse - Valkyria Chronicles 2)

[Gabz Girl]

This doesn't come out until May here in Europe. So annoying~

 

Well, at least I'm glad to see Codename S.T.E.A.M. getting mixed to positive reviews, but I'm not happy about the enemy turns taking ages thing. That annoyed me in the demo too, so I hope it doesn't get in the way of me enjoying it. Also not surprised about the difficulty curve. This IS an Intelligent Systems game after all!

 

Eh, I'm sure I'll still pick this up day one. =]

[Salamander]

I've heard that you can speed up enemy turns very slightly by holding Select?  I can understand that they might want you to really process enemy turns because it's a game where it's important to have a good idea of where enemies are and aren't, it helps to create atmosphere if you just get glimpses of them scuttling around behind boxes... but the problem is that a lot of the time there's just nothing to see.  If the best they could do is a slight speed-up, maybe there's some kind of technical reason for why they couldn't do better?

[Gabz Girl]

^ Yeah I heard that too, I think it was GameXpain who pointed it out.

 

Even if it makes the action a little bit faster, it should've been similar to FE:Awakening where it's basically a fast forward button. I don't want to skip the moves, but just fast forward would've been nice because I don't want to sit there for three minutes during enemy's turn when sometimes they don't even do anything!

[YoshiUnity]

Alright. I'm up to chapter 10 of the game here are my impressions so far. 

 

*Ahem....* 

 

The game has flaws, I'm not going to deny that. But flaws and all, even in missions where my team got absolutely curb stomped, I have to say that I FREAKING LOVE THIS GAME!

 

I'm really digging the gameplay and how much it challenges you to think before you act. At first when I started, I got hammered pretty hard because of how lenient I thought the game would be. But as I went on, it became clear whatever advice the game gives you, it's paramount to take it to heart. I went from just running around and positioning myself in places wherever as long as the enemy didn't see me to noticing at my surroundings, keeping a eye out for enemies, walking slowly, peering around corners, keeping my agents close and covering my blind spots. The moment you get cocky or careless, this game WILL punish you for it.

Code Name S.T.E.A.M.is definitely NOT a game for the gun-ho, because if the enemy sees you or hears you running around like a looney, there is a high chance you will get shot full of holes with their Overwatch attacks or during their turn if you don't have enough steam. The biggest rule about this game is "Everything you can do, your enemy can do, too!" You can hit them from around tight corners, they can do the same. You have Overwatch depending on what you have, so do they. It's all about making due with what you have and working with it. The enemies are just as tough as you, and sometimes tougher. They become more varied and how they act individually is very important to remember. But unless you intentionally try to screw up your gear or completely ignore your team's strengths and special skills, you can make it through.

 

Now if I have to address the elephant in the room, A.K.A., the Enemy turns. They do not bother me, nor do I think they last all that long. The only level I can recall where they actually lasted a little more than a minute was at the level where you meet Scarecrow, because that's an area where you can get potentially combo'd by enemy attacks if you're not careful. Other wise they will last half a minute give or take. Here is some helpful advice to those who want the time to speed up a bit. The more careful you are, the faster the enemy turns will gradually go. If you leave yourself open to attacks, the turns will be longer because every enemy that see you, WILL attack you if they can unless they are a busy healer. I'll go a little deeper on this once I review the game in full.

 

As far as the story goes, it is very entertaining. It does keep raising stakes higher as you go along, delivering twist and turns that you would not expect. I'm definitely looking forward to how it ends. So far, one of my favorites moments in particular is ... (A pretty big spoiler, so I advise to NOT click that spoiler tag unless you absolutely don't give a shit.)

One of the missions evolves you recovering the Necronomicon from a vault hidden underneath the White House. Did NOT see that coming!

 

The characters, while a bit flat, are still entertaining with how they are written. I say they're flat because while they differ in personality, most cut scenes just have them being textbook heroes discussing missions. If I have to make a comparison with another series Intelligent Systems worked on, they remind of the characters in Advance Wars, before Days of Ruin came to be, but in a better story.

 

The multi-player is so far surprisingly fun and tense. Just wish there weren't so many quitters online,. 

 

I'll be sure to go more into detail at a later time. Ask me any questions or concerns and I'll be sure to answer them.

[Gabz Girl]

Glad to hear you're enjoying the game, despite its flaws! I just wondered how many characters you can actually choose for your team? I know there's Henry, Lion, Tiger Lily etc. but how many other characters are there that join your team? I really like the neat references in their names btw, having them all named after characters from literature. =]

[JaidynReiman]

Glad to hear you're enjoying the game, despite its flaws! I just wondered how many characters you can actually choose for your team? I know there's Henry, Lion, Tiger Lily etc. but how many other characters are there that join your team? I really like the neat references in their names btw, having them all named after characters from literature. =]

There's around 12 playable characters I believe, or was it 11? There's also of course the four FE characters available through Amiibo (though obviously not enough to buy the Amiibo outright, its a neat bonus if you were planning on getting the Amiibo already).

 

 

The other announced ones are:

John Henry (he has actually been known since the first previews; he's from American folklore)

Tom Sawyer (ditto)

Randolph Carter (H.P. Lovecraft/Cthulu)

Queequeg (from Mobi Dick apparently)

Scarecrow

The Fox

Califia (Island of California)

 

and the final two are:

Tin Man

Dorothy Gale

 

 

Yeah, excess on the

Oz characters

for some strange reason.

 

 

Spoiler tags because the final two characters were never announced prior to release. Califia was announced like right before release, though many may have missed her.

 

 

EDIT:

All of the character's origins are obvious except for The Fox. As far as The Fox is concerned (this is unconfirmed):

Its never confirmed in-game, but its heavily speculated that she's a gender-flipped Zorro due to her ethnicity and the origins of the name.

 

 

EDIT 2:

Despite being a Japanese game, all characters are specifically related to the Americas. Califia relates to California legends, The Fox is Mexican, Tiger Lily is Native American, Henry Fleming is from Red Badge of Courage, John Henry is American folklore and lastly Tom Sawyer, H.P. Lovecraft, Moby Dick, and Wizard of Oz are all American literature. Tiger Lily is the only character who isn't from American literature or folklore, though again, she herself is Native American.

[YoshiUnity]

JaidynReiman, pretty much covered everything.    Though I can confirm that in Fox's case:

It's a bit yes and no on her being a gender-swap Zorro. She pretty much hold the same mission in life as Zorro, but she's actually a relative of him. In her file from John Milton Hay, she doesn't talk much of her past because she likes being mysterious, only to confirm that it is a family business.

 

It's not much of a spoiler to be honest. But even though I got past that point in the game, I'd rather other find out on their own.

Anyway, check this out!

All the specials for the main cast! (No amiibos.) SPOILERS: The final two characters are in this video!